Candlelight
by Isis Lied
Summary: On a routine visit to Gehenna, Mephisto finds a human child wandering in his domain. Confused and somewhat intrigued, the Prince of Time and Space brings her back to Assiah. Now burdened with the woes of parenthood, how will he fare? Mephisto-centric
1. Chapter 1-Achluophobia

Candlelight

Summary: On a routine visit to Gehenna, Mephisto finds a human child wandering in his domain. Confused and somewhat intrigued, the Prince of Time and Space brings her back to Assiah. Now burdened with the woes of parenthood, how will he fare? Mephisto-centric

Genre: Family, Comedy, and a bit of Angst

Pairings: Some Mephisto/Shura probably

A/N: Okay, just to make sure this is stated clearly: This is _not _a Mephisto/OC fic. Sorry guys, but I rarely pair up OC's w/ canon characters; when you do that the likelihood of the OC becoming a Mary-Sue or Gary-Stu doubles. It's just kind of my… policy (I only have one other story that contains an OC, after all). Anyway, on to the story! What I can promise however, is a (hopefully) funny and heartwarming tale in which Mephisto throws himself into the woes of parenthood and all that it entails.

Disclaimer: I do not own Blue Exorcist

* * *

Chapter 1- Achluophobia

.

.

The first step onto Gehennan soil was always somewhat jarring.

Mephisto sucked in a miasma-filled breath, emerald orbs twisted in discomfort as a wave of coal tar passed over him. So he had landed in Astaroth's territory. Lovely. While he wasn't on say, friendly terms with the white-haired King of Rot, Mephisto knew that he wouldn't be foolish enough to attack him for something as trivial as trespassing.

The violet-haired man wrinkled his nose at the near nauseating scent of rotting corpses, body still adjusting to the climate of Gehenna. He had spent over two-hundred years in Assiah, after all, where the scent of dead bodies wasn't exactly common. It was no surprise that his human host was having difficulty breathing, given the air quality. Once his host had adjusted sufficiently to the new, denser air, the demon turned briskly on his heel, away from the rot and decay towards his domain.

Already, he could trace the faint outline of a dome-shaped building and grinned. Lines of twisted ivory trailed down the Greek-styled columns, skirting across the otherwise barren ground. Clear pools of water poured from the springs, held against the rocky cliffs to create a backdrop of cascading waterfalls. Due to his power over time and space, the mansion suffered little from the flow of time or his absence.

Whistling a charming little tune, he continued forward, shooing away any of his kin who went to greet him. He had no time for pleasantries; he needed only to check in and make sure that his familiars were behaving. And, of course, that no lesser demon had encroached on his domain while he was away.

"Hmm?" He questioned suddenly, noticing a small humanoid figure crouched by one of the life-giving Daysprings. The springs were normally well-guarded, given that they could grant humans immortality. Using his umbrella-like familiar, the demon flew towards the figure, a mixture of curiosity and annoyance on his handsome features. Surely his servants could take care of a single pest without him. Still... he watched in the air as one of his familiars approached the stranger. He heard a few garbled words spoken in his natural demon tongue before the familiar walked away mechanically, looking to be in a trance.

_Interesting_, he thought, fluttering closer to the figure. Usually, only demons of high ranking (duke or above) could control other of its kin. The principal's eyes widened marginally as he took in the stranger's appearance, his hands nearly slipping from the handle of the umbrella in his surprise.

It looked to be a young human girl, probably no older than six. Her hair was a light blonde but shone dully due to the dirt and dust. She gazed forlornly at her reflection in the water, pale hands dipping into the cold stream. Amber orbs quickly darted up as the violet-haired man descended, smiling with interest. He gave a small bow, chuckling.

"Pardon my intrusion, _prinzesschen_, but this is my domain. I am Samael, Prince of Time and Space. Now, what brings you here?"

The girl looked away, clearly frightened. Shivering, she pulled at her tattered clothing, small fingers digging into the fabric of her green dress.

"I-I was cold." She pointed at the mansion. "B-but t-the door wouldn't open. So I waited." Her voice was soft, even while she used the demon language, dark eyes wavering on the edge of tears.

"Shh, it's alright... can you tell me anything about yourself, _prinzesschen_? Anything at all?" He soothed, crouching down to become eye-level with the girl.

The child shook her head. "I-I don't know. I woke up and s-started walking. There were these nice floaty black things that followed me. And then there was a white bird. Its cry made my head hurt."

Mephisto sighed. She was describing coal tar and seraphim. Although, to hear that his older brother had sent one of his familiars over his domain... _what an interesting turn of events, indeed. _

"Do you want to go somewhere warm? I have the ability to take us away from Gehenna. To a place where there are other humans like you."

She cocked her head to the side in confusion, hazel eyes wide with curiosity. "Humans? But I'm a demon— aren't I? And I didn't know we could leave Gehenna."

The dark-haired man gave a sad smile. The poor child really knew nothing. It seemed that while she had a basic knowledge of language and some understanding of Gehenna, anything that dealt with herself—that is, her memories, were locked away.

He nodded, offering a gloved hand. "Yes, given the right motive, demons can travel from Gehenna to Assiah with little difficulty. It's a much brighter place than this. And very warm."

Sniffling, the girl took his hand, rising to her feet. "O-okay. That sounds nice."

Her tears had finally subsided, leaving a curious, albeit anxious child who held onto his hand tightly. Rubbing her eyes with a free hand, she yawned, revealing regular shaped canines. The motion did not go unnoticed by the Demon King. If anything, it only strengthened his suspicions.

While not common, there had been a few cases where mid-level demons had snatched up human children and brought them back to Gehenna. Some found a twisted pleasure in kidnapping the weak. In his mind, however, it went against demon etiquette. Besides the usual hiding of one's tail and demon heart, it was a higher-level demon's duty to act like a charming devil; all sharp teeth and claws hidden behind sly smiles and saccharine promises.

Feeling the girl tug at his hand again, he smiled sweetly, telling her to close her eyes. She obeyed, light eyelashes fluttering closed. "Eins, Zwei, Drei~!" He said cheerily, snapping his fingers. The pair were caught up in a puff of white smoke before disappearing completely, leaving nothing in their wake.

Somewhere, a white bird cawed loudly, gliding towards the west region of Gehenna.

* * *

Bleary amber orbs opened to see a rather fancifully furnished room. Gold tapestry hung from the walls, along with an assortment of clocks from various ages. They ticked in time, creating a gentle hum in the otherwise silent room. Swinging her legs over the side of the embroidered sofa, she stumbled to an old grandfather clock. It chimed loudly when her fingers swept across the polished oak, startling the child. She stepped back on instinct, nearly tripping against the long fabric of her dress.

A hearty chuckle could be heard as Mephisto appeared from the shadows, snapping his fingers to start a fire in the fireplace. The flames crackled as he spoke, viridian eyes narrowed in contemplation.

"Now, _prinzesschen_, what shall we do? It may be impossible to find your birth parents; or, in the worst case, they could already be dead. Speaking of which, do you happen to remember your name?"

She shook her head, eyes cast to the wooden floor. "I don't remember… but, you keep calling me _prinzesschen_. Is that my name?"

He chuckled again. "Heavens, no! It means 'little princess' in German. Another human language, my dear. One that you will learn, I am sure. But, since you cannot remember your name I shall give you one now! Let's see…"

The demon placed a finger to his goatee, stroking it in thought. "Perhaps Charlotte or Sera? Orel? No, those won't do at all."

He looked at her again, a flicker of excitement in his eyes. "Yes, that will do nicely! What do you think of the name Aurelia?"

The child nodded eagerly, giving her first real smile. "It sounds nice! I like it!"

"Alright, Aurelia. Now, to the business at hand…" He snapped his fingers, a large stack of papers appearing in his hands.

"Until we can find your parents I will become your legal guardian. There is quite a bit of paperwork to be done, so why don't you go rest? I shall escort you to your room." Placing the papers onto the desk, he motioned to the door, holding it open. Aurelia quickly stepped through the doorway, turning to look back at the eccentric man. He seemed nice, for a demon king. From what little knowledge she had of the Gehennan hierarchy, he should have been crueler or at least a little more vindictive. Not offering her a place to stay and a promise to find her parents.

He chatted animatedly about his school and his work, as well as his two other 'children,' a set of twins name Yukio and Rin Okumura. He then went to talk about their exorcist training and the cram school he set up, including his own title of Honorary Knight in the Exorcist order. This confused the girl to no end.

"But, if you're a demon why do you hunt other demons?"

"Well, there are some demons that cause a lot of trouble for humans—and for me. I can't have them messing with my perfect little playground, can I?" He replied smoothly, opening the door.

"I hope this room will suffice. I have quite a few guest rooms, so if this one does not suit your tastes please tell me." Moving to the side, he revealed a spacious bedroom, complete with embroidered furniture and fanciful decorations. Unable to hide her glee, the child ducked under the covers, burrowing into the soft warmness of the bed.

Mephisto chuckled at her antics, finger pressed against the light-switch. "Get some rest, Aurelia. Hopefully by tomorrow everything will finally be sorted out." The room was bathed in darkness as he went to leave the room, only to hear her timid voice call out.

"C-could you leave the light on, please? I… don't like the dark." She said shyly, amber orbs peaking from beneath the comforter.

He smiled. "Of course. Here." He snapped his fingers, creating a few glowing orbs of light. They circled the edges of the room, flickering soft waves of light across the room.

"Goodnight, Aurelia."

"G'night, Sammy…" She yawned, drifting off to sleep, a peaceful expression on her face.

The demon stilled at the nickname but was unable to hide his smile, closing the door softly behind him.

* * *

Upon entering his office, Mephisto was unsurprised to see a certain green-haired demon lounging on the pinstriped sofa.

"I watched over the Academy for you, like you asked. It was boring though, nothing happened." Amaimon drawled, fishing for a lollipop in his pocket. Finding the treat, he unwrapped it before popping it into his mouth.

The violet-haired principal sighed, moving towards his desk. "I just hope you didn't mess with any of my lovely students."

Amaimon shook his head. "Nope. I didn't even play with Rin."

"That's good to hear. Anyway, what do you think of becoming an uncle, Amaimon?"

"Hmm?" He showed genuine surprise, slipping off of the sofa to stare perplexedly at the violet-haired man.

"You'll meet her tomorrow. Try not to scare her though; human children can be easily startled."

"…I still don't understand, brother." He deadpanned, biting on one of his darkened claws.

* * *

A/N: Hehehe, hope this was at least somewhat entertaining ^^' I couldn't decide if I wanted to give her a Latin or German name, but the German equivalent of the meaning I wanted (golden) was Orel and I thought Aurelia sounded a bit… prettier XD So yes, Aurelia in Latin means 'golden.' Anyway, as usual, thanks for taking the time to check out the first chap! I promise more humor and fluffiness in the future :P

P.S. I apologize for any OOC-ness in Mephisto; once again, he's a difficult character to write sometimes, especially in this sort of situation. His motives for rescuing Aurelia, of course, will eventually be revealed XD

-Isis


	2. Chapter 2- Uncle Amaimon

Chapter 2- _Uncle _Amaimon

.

.

The next morning Aurelia pads out of her room at the sound of bickering downstairs. She recognizes one voice as Samael, but the other escapes her. The person speaks in a flat monotone— enough that the conversation sounds more akin to a one-sided argument than two people speaking colloquially to each other. The pair continue to banter in the familiar Gehennan language, revealing that both speakers had to be demon— or that one was a very strange human.

"You can't keep spamming the same move over and over again! That's cheap!"

"Ah, sorry." The person doesn't sound the least bit apologetic— and her thoughts are confirmed when Samael yells out again, this time the sound of a game controller hitting a hard surface following his outcry.

Hesitantly, the blonde tiptoes down the spiral staircase, curiosity fueling her movement. The last step creaks slightly, alerting the two other occupants of the mansion.

Both demons turn to the human child on the staircase. Amaimon remembers what his brother told him and gives his version of a friendly smile (a large grin that exposed his fangs). Aurelia backs away on instinct, but continues towards the pair when she notices all the human inventions, remembering a few faint conversations about them.

Mephisto gives a more appropriate smile, ushering the girl closer to them with a dramatic wave of his hand. She peers nervously at the green-haired stranger who stared back unabashed, fingers digging into the pocket of his coat to reveal a wrapped candy.

"I'm Amaimon, King of Earth. I'm kind of like your uncle... I think." He offered her the cherry lollipop with barely an expression, cerulean orbs lidded and sleepy.

Aurelia takes the candy, curiosity apparent in her amber orbs. "...What is it?"

"Candy." He replied simply, taking the lollipop. Unwrapping the sweet carefully with his claws, he shoved the lollipop into her mouth without warning. She almost snapped at him only to pause, absorbing the taste of the candy. It was... surprisingly good!

Giving a little hum of approval, Aurelia bit into the lollipop, munching on it happily.

"I did some research. I was told that besides demons, human children also liked candy. Was I nice enough, brother?" Amaimon turned to look at his brother.

Mephisto sighed. "Yes, yes. I'll set up another 'play date' with Rin for you, as promised. Just try not to kill him this time, alright?"

It was obvious that the green-haired demon had stopped paying attention as he moved towards the door. He ignored his brother's previous statement to take a few pieces of candy from a jar in the foyer, sticking a lollipop into his mouth.

"Bye, brother. Bye, kid." He gave a mechanical wave, pulling out a golden key from his pocket before inserting it into the lock. Opening the door, he paused as a hobgoblin appeared at the door, carrying a human skull in its mouth. Taking one last glance at the pair, he walked past the threshold, chastising his familiar lightly.

His voice rang out one final time before the door shut, "Behemoth you can't play with the humans all by yourself!"

Mephisto clears his voice, shooting an annoyed glare at his brother's departing figure before turning his attention back to the child. "Well, Aurelia, I've gotten most of the paperwork done. I have a few… colleagues searching for your parents. With any luck, we should be able to find them relatively soon. But, in the meantime," he paused, suddenly snapping his fingers.

Almost immediately, the pair was engulfed in a flash of white smoke, causing the blonde to cough. Holding her hand to her mouth, she peered through the smoke to see that the demon was now dressed in his typical clown-inspired fashion, a sharp grin on his face. Looking down, she realized she was in what appeared to be a school uniform.

"While you are much too young to be attending my school, I believe that all human children should have a proper education. My butler, Belial, will be attending to your studies. Belial~!" He called out in a sing-song tone, emerald eyes searching the room until they focused back at the spiral staircase. There was the rushed sound of footsteps until a well-dressed man appeared, bowing slightly. His silver hair dipped over his eyes at the motion, obscuring them.

"Yes, Sir Pheles?"

"This is Aurelia. She is under my care for the time being. Due to a few special circumstances, she is unable to speak any human language. I need you to focus her studies in learning Japanese as well as German."

The butler gave a curt nod, holding out a gloved hand. "Aurelia, is it? Please come with me." The small child gazed at Mephisto, amber eyes furrowed in worry. She held to his arm, tiny fingers curled in the sleeve of his coat. The demon's gaze softened at the sight.

"It is alright. He will be your teacher, Aurelia. This means that if you listen to him you will understand Assiah better. You want to learn all about humans, right?"

She nodded slowly, uncurling her fingers from his arm. "Okay… I really do want to see more of Assiah. It is so bright and loud. I like it a lot more than Gehenna."

Mephisto chuckled. "I'm quite fond of Assiah as well. Now, go with Belial. He is to escort you to my office after your studies."

Reluctantly, she followed after the butler, climbing up the stairs. The demon waited until the pair disappeared up the staircase before snapping his fingers, teleporting himself back to his office.

* * *

It was around sundown when Mephisto received a knock at the door. Shuffling the papers aside, he stood.

"Come in~!" He cheered, opening the door. Expecting to see Aurelia and Belial, his expression changed minutely at the appearance of a regular second-class exorcist.

"Sir Pheles, I've done the research you've asked me for and… there is only one case that matches your credentials."

The principal was handed the manila folder with a curt nod. He quickly skimmed the papers, a frown working its way onto his face. This couldn't be right at all, even if he was staring straight at a black-and-white photograph of Aurelia. Her hair was shorter but her eyes were the exact same shade of hazel.

"Are you sure these papers are correct?"

The exorcist nodded. "Yes. The child you are describing disappeared from Russia over a hundred years ago."

* * *

"Hey, broccoli head! What the hell are you doing here?" Rin stalked angrily over to the green-haired demon who had been hiding in a tree in the Academy's immaculate courtyard. He was dropping candy wrappers from his perch, chocolate coating his darkened nails. Amaimon gazed lazily at the blue-haired teen, purposefully throwing a wrapper in Rin's direction. The half-demon swatted it away, letting out annoyed growl.

"I'm not allowed to play with you right now—"

"I don't give a crap about that! Why are you here at the Academy?"

Amaimon paused, bringing a finger to his chin in contemplation. "Hmm? Why am I here…? Ah, that's right! I was told to wait here. And I got candy for that girl since he said I still have to be nice to her."

Rin sighed again. "What the hell are you talking about? Who is this girl?"

"She is brother's kid… kind of. Kind of like how I'm your older brother."

"You're making no sense!" The teen had never felt more of an urge to punch someone before. While he definitely didn't want to antagonize the Earth King, he wished that the demon would be at least a bit more specific.

"You're just slow." Amaimon replied calmly, hopping down to the ground. He gave an icy glare to his younger brother before brushing past him, letting out a fanged yawn.

"…Follow me." He said quietly, swaying slightly as he bit against his thumb to stay awake. The afternoons always made him so sleepy… all he wanted to do was curl up on his brother's sofa and take a nap. But, he had been told by Mephisto a while ago to make sure the Okumura twins were aware of their new 'sister.' But Amaimon cared little for Yukio; at least he was bringing one of the twins. It was the reason he sat outside where cram school usually ended, eating chocolate hearts until the blue-haired boy appeared.

Not bothering to look behind him, Amaimon began to walk away, hands stuffed casually in his pockets.

"H-hey! W-wait!" Rin called, following after the confusing green-haired youth.

"…You really are slow, Okumura."

* * *

A/N: Belial isn't an OC, btw. He's appeared once or twice in the manga as Mephy's butler. We haven't gotten a good enough look at him, but I'm going to roll w/ the idea that he's a weaker demon that is employed under Mephisto. So… yah ^^' Thanks to those who have taken an interest in my story, I'm glad that some people enjoy it~! Anyway, I'll see you guys in Chapter 3, which will hopefully be longer than this chap!

**Review?**

-Isis


End file.
